1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to sports equipment and more particularly to an improved archery bow assembly having a novel arrow holder.
2. Prior Art
There are many types of archery arrow holders which have been developed. Most are clumsy, bulky and expensive. The only arrow holders currently in favor are those which are in the form of racks connected to the bow riser on the side opposite that facing the arrow window. Such holders releasably secure the arrows by V-shaped clips. An arrow must be manually inserted with both hands into and manually removed from the holder before the archer can string it on the bowstring, then place it on the arrow rest, draw and shoot the arrow. Obviously, the bow is not ready to shoot instantly, as may be required during hunting. Moreover, it is difficult and inconvenient to have to use both hands to place a sharp arrow in a holder, since the bow must then be laid down or braced against an object. If, instead, the rear end of an arrow is merely placed on the bowstring and the arrow shaft is allowed to sit on the arrow rest while the bowhunter carries the bow in the field, in order to permit instant shooting when a target animal appears, any substantial tilting and/or bumping of the bow, such as is normally encountered when a bowhunter travels through rough terrain, will cause the arrow to roll off the rest. The bowhunter must then continually reseat the arrow on the rest or else risk that firing the bow will result in a grossly inaccurate shot, with possible damage to the arrow, hunter and/or bow.
An improved bow arrow holder is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 3,606,875, issued Sept. 21, 1971 to R. F. Carella. That holder comprises in one embodiment a generally U-shaped horizontally aligned bracket connected by the lower leg thereof to the end of the bow handle facing the archer at about the level of the bow's arrow rest. The free-standing forwardly directed upper leg of the bracket slidably receives a ring connected to a strap, the other end of which bears a second ring slidably received on the lower bracket leg. The strap is intended to loop over an arrow shaft and pin it to the arrow rest, but fall away as the arrow is shot forward out of the bow.
A second embodiment in the patent employs a horizontal post with an upwardly angled free end. The post is connected to the bow handle and projects toward the archer. The post holds both rings of the strap, which releases from the arrow shaft as the bowstring is drawn.
A difficulty with this device is its lack of adjustability. The post and U-shaped bracket are in a fixed position directly in line with the end of the sidewall defining the bow's arrow window. Considerable side pressure or torque is then exerted by the arrow holder, pulling the arrow shaft toward the bow window sidewall even though the arrow rest may project well out into the window away from the sidewall and hold the arrow in the position to allow proper arrow vane or feather clearance. The torquing effect can throw the point of the arrow off the aiming line, with resulting poor shooting accuracy. Moreover, because of the difference in size and shape of various arrow rests, cushion plungers, bow sidewall thicknesses and arrow shaft diameters, as well as various bow handle shapes, it is important to be able to provide an arrow holder with full adjustability as to angle of release, effective strap length and the like. The Carella bow holder totally fails in that regard, being made of rigid, non-adjustable, non-repositionable components.
Accordingly, there is still a need for an improved type of archery arrow holder which will firmly and safely retain the arrow in place on the rest in any desired location in the bow window without exerting side torque on the arrow while preventing dislodgment of the arrow when the archer (bowhunter) carries the bow. The holder should be easy to install on, adjust and remove from the bow and just as easy to use. It should also be completely adjustable to accommodate various arrow rests, arrow shaft diameters, bow sidewall thicknesses and other factors. Preferably, it should be engageable by one hand with the arrow, and should automatically release the arrow when the arrow is drawn by the bowstring during shooting the arrow.